Jakku
by wanderingmindstravelfar
Summary: In the aftermath of their latest encounter with the First Order, Rey temporarily steps away from the Resistance and returns to Jakku to find closure regarding her origins. However, when Kylo shows up hot on her tail, their confrontation isn't quite what either of them expect.
1. Chapter 1

The scorching Jakku sun seemed to kiss her skin with an ardent glow, her brow glistening with shining beads of sweat as Rey looked over the desert land. It was a heated wasteland, filled with people similar to herself - abandoned and trying to survive. She pushed Jakku to the back of her mind, trying to forget how her parents had abandoned her under the whim of Unkar Plutt. She considered herself lucky to not have been traded as a slave at a young age. However, sometimes she wondered if that wouldn't have been better. At least then she would have had an actual roof over her head. At least she wouldn't have had to worry about whether or not she would have enough to scavenge to make that day's portions.

Rey tried her best to not let her ill-fated past define her; she was now strong with the Force and by gods, she had endured even worse hardships since then. Yet the roads of her journey led her back to Jakku. **"Why…?"** she muttered aloud, her breath heavy as she crouched down and sifted her fingers through the sand. The feeling of the grainy ocean against her fingertips reminded her of her humble beginnings, and she grinned as she thought about her past once again. Every time she took a step forward she managed to take ten steps back. Did she return to Jakku to find some closure? Kylo Ren's words danced in her head while burning into her thoughts:

_They're dead in a pauper's grave in the Jakku desert._

She wanted so desperately to search every inch of that scorched desert, so perhaps, in the end, that was why she landed here. Chewbacca remained in the ship, guarding it against potential marauders looking to make some credits. After all, the Millenium Falcon was on the watch list of just about everyone in the galaxy. She wouldn't have been surprised if they'd been followed. However, her own intentions to come back surpassed everything else. Rey needed to know what happened. She would search the planet even if it killed her. Her tenacious thirst for answers coursed through her like the Force. She tried so desperately to break from it but she couldn't help but to give in. Chewbacca was kind enough to accompany her to the planet, but she would be alone on this journey. Images of Finn, Poe, Leia, and Rose briefly entered her thoughts and she could only pray to the gods that they were doing okay to help garner strength for the Rebel cause once again.

As Rey said her goodbyes to her co-pilot, she found herself trudging against the thick sands of the desert. The wind howled, causing the grainy shrapnel to beat against her skin every now and then, invading her hair, her clothing, and any crevice that was exposed. **"I didn't miss this,"** she murmured to herself aloud as she shook her head to see a waterfall of sand fall from her scalp. However, she stopped for a moment, as if sensing a presence from behind, just beyond her periphery. Could it already be a trick of the desert heat? No, that was silly. Shaking her head, Rey ignored the telltale signs of a familiar mirage that began to take shape- a dark, vague silhouette approaching on the horizon and growing larger and larger until they eventually came face to face. In her youth, she'd always imagined it was her mother or father returning for her; only to be inevitably disappointed when she squinted or blinked and the vision disappeared.

_You come from nothing._

Once again the words beat into her head, shaming her of her past. Kylo Ren wasn't right. She wouldn't allow his words to be fact. As she attempted to convince herself of this however, the feeling of being followed only heightened. Rey frowned, the crevices of her lips turning low as she gripped her staff and turned around. Her eyes widened - it was no mirage this time.

**"Have you been following me this entire time?"** she asked, looking at the figure only a few feet from her. Rey had let her guard down as her thoughts ran rampant in her mind; she wouldn't let it happen again.

**"Ever since Crait, more or less,"** Ren replied easily. **"Your actions are far too easy to predict, scavenger. Jakku? Really? Your survival skills are slipping."**

Kylo scanned their monotonous surroundings, squinting toward the distant sun and cursing its wretched heat. It was with great distain that he had trudged through the seemingly endless landscape of sand to get to this point.

Of course Ren had been wise enough to change his clothes in his pursuit of the young Jedi wannabe. His usual black garb was hardly inconspicuous against the tan dunes of Jakku.

He'd bartered for some brown slacks, boots and a cream-colored shirt as soon as he'd arrived on the miserable excuse of a planet. Kylo had cringed in disgust and nearly abandoned his plan altogether upon donning the articles, as the ensemble only reminded him of his scoundrel of a father.

However, the now Supreme Leader quickly shoved any thoughts of his complicated family history aside as he followed Rey, closing in on her primarily out of intolerance for the frankly inhuman environment.

It couldn't come as too much of a surprise to Rey that he'd managed to find and track her here, considering they both had unfinished business since Crait. However, she was more than upset with herself for not recognizing his presence sooner. Their Force bond had admittedly weakened over that past months, and while Rey would occasionally feel small tugs of energy, she'd refused to acknowledge them, effectively shutting Ren out. It was there now though- that familiar yet unnamable feeling, pulsing stronger than ever between them.

Rey's hand strengthened on her staff as she glared at Kylo from no more than a dozen feet away. She rebuked him in every way, but she couldn't sate her curiosity of him. There was so much she wanted to discuss since the throne room debacle. While he was a monster with an unstable persona to the rest of the galaxy, Kylo was something else to her - an enigma shrouded in black with a hardened past like herself. But Rey refused to admit that they had anything in common.

**"You made your choice, Ben. What are you doing here? What do you want?"** she demanded harshly. Her gaze was fierce, but Rey felt her stomach turn to knots as she met his dark eyes. She'd dare not show any sign of weakness now, but why did it pain her to look at him? Why, when they were together, did it feel like she was falling into an abyss and losing all control?


	2. Chapter 2

Kylo could feel the heated emotion behind Rey's pointed stare. She was still trying, albeit failing, to push him away. But denial wasn't enough to hold off the Force- not for long anyway.

The Supreme Leader's dark eyes narrowed in frustration at the girl's implications. But it was Rey's continued use of his given name that sent him over the edge.

**"Made my choice?!"** Ren scoffed in resentment. **"You're the one that opted to remain enemies. You're the one that tried to draw your weapon against me."** Kylo took a couple of calculated steps forward, perhaps in a subconscious effort to intimidate the victim of his rage. When he spoke again though, his voice was eerie and muted, and perhaps even the slightest bit pained. **"You're the one that left me for dead."** His breath hitched and Ben sounded almost offended.** "The Force wills us together, yet so as far as I can tell, Rey, you're the one trying very hard to keep us at odds."**

His energy bore into her, relentlessly searching the surface of her mind for an explanation, yet the scavenger couldn't even maintain eye contact.

The Force stirred electrically between them. Or perhaps it was just the heat of the desert amplifying their already rampant emotions. Regardless, Rey made no effort to explain herself. She didn't owe Kylo anything. They were both guilty of trying to pin the blame on one another. And it seemed neither of them entirely understood what to do with their strange Force connection. But given their stubbornness on both sides, it seemed unlikely that they'd forgive and forget anytime soon.

With a sigh, Rey slung her staff over her shoulder in a kind of unspoken truce.

A sudden burst of wind sent tiny grains of sand barreling against their skin like microscopic bullets. The sting of the harsh mineral pellets felt appropriate in their absence of conversation. Rey shielded her face and squinted westward only to spy the sun lowering in the sky.

Soon the desert wasteland would become a cold ocean of sand. Extreme heat and extreme cold - both vastly different but somehow balancing one another out. There was no time to waste. Rey needed to find shelter before sundown, and so in an effort to speed things along, she decided to be upfront with Kylo.

**"You told me my parents were dead and buried in the Jakku desert, and I believe you,"** Rey admitted plainly. **"But, I need to see it for myself. Not that you would understand."**

Kylo knew she was preoccupied with the past, and he could also see that there would be no moving forward until the scavenger got the closure that she craved. Without a word he brushed past her and began trudging through the sand.

**"Then I guess we have a lot of ground to cover before nightfall,"** he muttered over his shoulder indifferently. Kylo almost smirked in the shocked silence that followed. He enjoyed keeping Rey on her toes.

Rey on the other hand, resented the way he blithely assumed that he could tag along on her incredibly personal journey. Force, he got on her nerves! She moved hurriedly in an attempt to surpass and confront him, but Ben's long strides made it near impossible in the dunes. For the time being, she would follow contently at his side, and even that was no easy feat.

It was quiet between them for a time and in that peacefulness, Rey snuck a glance over at her counterpart. She examined his strong, elongated features and studied the way her saber had serrated his face, pouring down his cheek and towards his neck. It was a solemn reminder for her, yet she couldn't bring herself to regret it. That was before she had known of Ben Solo; the young man behind the mask of a monster who brought carnage and destruction in his wake, injuring her dearest friend and killing the man whose ship she now piloted.

Rey contemplated whether she would eventually give Kylo an explanation as to why she'd ran away from his proposed alliance. But even if she told him the truth, she wasn't sure he'd understand.

Eyes straight ahead, Kylo marched forward in content silence. He'd studied the geography of Jakku briefly before landing, but mostly he was just going by instinct. Of course it helped being so mentally attuned with Rey, who was a native to these deserts.

Ben was enjoying the quiet serenity between them until Rey inevitably began prodding at his essence through the Force. He could feel her thoughts locked onto him like a serpent winding its lean body around a piece of prey. The girl really did need a teacher- her mind was an open book most of the time, and every so often he could feel her warm energy brush against his own.

**"So, if Snoke brought us together through the Force, then how come I can still feel you now that he's gone?"** Rey asked, seemingly out of nowhere. Their connection still hummed within her, and she desperately wanted to be rid of it. It was enough of a distraction when they were lightyears apart. Even after Crait, despite all her efforts to cut ties, Rey would feel vague impressions of Kylo, sensing whenever ice touched his lips, or sweat dripped down his forehead during training. In a strange, unwanted way, it was almost as if they were growing into one person. And their current proximity only saw that sensation growing stronger.

Kylo didn't so much as slow down as Rey questioned their lingering mental link. **"Because Snoke was lying scum,"** he retorted through gritted teeth. **"Ever hear of a force bond? It's hardly something that can be manufactured."**

**"Oh," **Rey mulled over this information curiously.** "I was hoping you knew how to stop it…"**

Kylo paused for breath and reached down for the canteen that was clipped to his belt. He took a long swig of water and wiped his lips with the back of his hand before replying.

**"There is no stopping it,"** he announced rather nonchalantly.** "I'm afraid we're stuck with each other."**

It was only then that he turned his head to get a glimpse of Rey's reaction. The Supreme Leader paused before screwing the lid back on his canteen, considering a moment before holding the item out in offering.


End file.
